」子路曰：「願得白羽若月，赤羽若日，鍾鼓之音，上聞乎天，旌旗翩翻，下蟠於地，由且舉兵而擊之，必也攘地千里，獨由能耳；使夫二子為我從焉。
Let each of you gentlemen state your aspirations—I will listen.” Zilu said, “I wish to get white feathers like the moon and red feathers like the sun; to make the sound of gongs and drums rise up and be heard in heaven, and make the fluttering of banners spread downward over the earth.
」孔子曰：「勇哉士乎！
And, when I raise troops and mount an attack, I will sweep up a thousand li of territory.
憤憤者乎！
Only I am capable of this; you two gentlemen will have to be my followers in this.” “Bold indeed is the man-at-arms!” exclaimed Kongzi.
」子貢曰：「賜也願齊、楚合戰於莽洋之野，兩壘相當，旌旗相望，塵埃相接，接戰構兵，賜願著縞衣白冠，陳說白刃之間，解兩國之患，獨賜能耳；使夫二子者為我從焉。
“Truly full of ardor!” “As for me,” said Zigong, “my wish is that Qi and Chu should be at war on a vast and open plain, with fortifications of equal extent, each set of banners visible from the other side, the clouds of dust from each side mingling as they prepare to meet in battle and cross weapons.
」孔子曰：「辯哉士乎！
I would then wish to appear arrayed in the white gown and cap of mourning and set forth arguments among the gleaming blades by means of which I would resolve the calamity facing those two states.
僊僊者乎！
Only I am capable of this; you two gentlemen would have to be my followers in this.” “Eloquent indeed is the man-of-service!” exclaimed Kongzi.
」顏淵獨不言，孔子曰：「回來，若獨何不願乎？
“Truly swift and scintillating!” Only Yan Yuan did not speak.
」顏淵曰：「文武之事，二子已言之，回何敢與焉！
“Come, Hui,” said Kongzi, “why do you alone have no aspirations?” “The other two have spoken both of civil and of military affairs,” replied Yan Yuan. “How can I dare to add to what they have said?” “You may feel too ignorant to participate,” said Kongzi, “but say what you think anyway.” “I have heard,” replied Yan Yuan, “that abalone and fragrant fungus are not stored in the same container and that Yao and Shun could not join Jie and Zhòu in governing a state.
」孔子曰：「若鄙心不與焉，第言之。
What the other two gentlemen said is different from what I will say.
」顏淵曰：「回聞鮑魚蘭芷不同篋而藏，堯舜桀紂不同國而治。
My aspiration is to find a sage ruler and serve him as a prime minister.
二子之言，與回言異。
I would serve him in such a way that city walls would no longer be maintained, and moats and ditches would no longer be forded; swords and dagger-axes would all be turned into farming implements so all the realm would be free for a thousand years from the calamity of war.
回願得明王聖主而相之，使城郭不脩，溝池不越，鍛劍戟以為農器，使天下千歲無戰鬭之患。
如此，則由何憤憤而擊，賜又何僊僊而使乎？」
In conditions such as these, what use could be found for Zilu’s ardent bravery or for Zigong’s scintillating arguments?